HIROSHIMA, Japan -- Mazda Motor Corporation received approval from government authorities for a filling station to store and supply fuel for ongoing hydrogen vehicle research and development. The new “Hydrogen Station” officially began operating in early February 2005 and is located near Mazda’s global headquarters in Hiroshima. It is the first hydrogen filling station in the Chugoku region of western Japan.

The facility supplies fuel to both the hydrogen engine test facility and the hydrogen rotary vehicles currently under development and testing for commercial use. High-pressure hydrogen gas--supplied by an outside contractor--is stored at about 200 bar (20 MPa) in compressed hydrogen gas tanks and further pressurized to 350 bar (35 MPa) for delivery to vehicles. The inventory stored at Mazda’s hydrogen filling station enables up to 10 vehicles per day to be fueled with hydrogen gas.